Touch gesture detection and resolution

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10831308-B2
Application number	US-201816186138-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 9, 2018
Priority date	Nov 9, 2018
Publication date	Nov 10, 2020
Grant date	Nov 10, 2020

Abstract

Systems and methods for enhanced touch gesture detection and resolution in mobile electronic communications devices entail scanning a touch sensor of the device at a first scan rate, detecting a touch of a finger and determining that the touch has remained present for at least a first threshold period. In response to this determination, the touch sensor is scanned at a second scan rate that is higher than the first scan rate, and it is determined using this second scan rate that a swipe gesture has occurred at the touch sensor within a second threshold period. In response to the swipe gesture, an action is executed at the device.

First claim

We claim:

1. A mobile electronic communications device having enhanced touch gesture detection and resolution, the mobile electronic communications device comprising:
a display screen configured to display visual information;
a touch sensor positioned and configured to sense touch on the display screen;
a processor linked to the touch sensor and configured to enter a standby state wherein the processor scans the touch sensor at a first scan rate, detects a single touch while scanning the touch sensor at the first scan rate, and in response, determines that the single touch has remained present for at least a first threshold period T 1 , and in response to determining that the single touch has remained present for at least a first threshold period T 1 , enter a swipe detection mode wherein the processor scans the touch sensor at a second scan rate that is higher than the first scan rate, determines that a swipe gesture has occurred at the touch sensor within a second threshold period T 2 , and processes the swipe gesture.

2. The mobile electronic communications device in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to process the swipe gesture by determining a trajectory of the swipe and designating the swipe as valid based on the trajectory of the swipe, the swipe trajectory including at least one of a swipe direction and a swipe pattern.

3. The mobile electronic communications device in accordance with claim 2 , wherein the processor is configured to process the swipe gesture by executing a predefined action selected based on the swipe trajectory.

4. The mobile electronic communications device in accordance with claim 3 , wherein the predefined action comprises opening an application on the device.

5. The mobile electronic communications device in accordance with claim 3 , wherein the predefined action comprises putting the device into one of a predetermined input and a predetermined output mode.

6. The mobile electronic communications device in accordance with claim 3 , wherein the predefined action comprises changing a setting of the device.

7. The mobile electronic communications device in accordance with claim 3 , wherein the predefined action comprises controlling an operation of the device.

8. The mobile electronic communications device in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to determine, while in the swipe detection mode, that a swipe gesture has not occurred at the touch sensor within the second threshold period T 2 , and to then return to the standby state.

9. The mobile electronic communications device in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to verify that the single touch is by a finger.

10. The mobile electronic communications device in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to detect a fingerprint via the touch sensor.

11. The mobile electronic communications device in accordance with claim 10 , wherein the processor is further configured to verify that the detected fingerprint is associated with an authorized individual.

12. The mobile electronic communications device in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to provide user feedback upon processing the swipe gesture.

13. The mobile electronic communications device in accordance with claim 12 , wherein the user feedback comprises at least one of lighting a region of the device, providing haptic feedback via the device, and providing feedback via the device display screen.

14. A method in a mobile electronic communications device for enhanced touch gesture detection and resolution, the method comprising:
scanning a touch sensor of the device at a first scan rate and first resolution;
while scanning the touch sensor at the first scan rate, detecting a single touch;
scanning the touch sensor at a second resolution higher than the first resolution to determine that the single touch is a finger touch;
upon determining that the single touch is a finger touch, determining that the single touch has remained present for at least a first threshold period T 1 ;
scanning the touch sensor at a second scan rate that is higher than the first scan rate and at one of the first and second resolutions in response to determining that the single touch has remained present for at least the first threshold period T 1 ;
determining that a swipe gesture has occurred at the touch sensor within a second threshold period T 2 ; and
executing an action at the device in response to the swipe gesture.

15. The method in accordance with claim 14 , further comprising remaining at the first scan rate and first resolution upon determining that the single touch is not a finger touch.

16. The method in accordance with claim 14 , further comprising determining a trajectory of the swipe and determine the swipe to be valid based on the trajectory of the swipe, wherein the trajectory of the swipe includes at least one of a swipe direction and a swipe pattern.

17. The method in accordance with claim 14 , further comprising determining that a swipe gesture has not occurred at the touch sensor within the second threshold period T 2 , and in response returning to the step of scanning the touch sensor of the device at the first scan rate.

18. The method in accordance with claim 14 , wherein the action comprises at least one of opening an application on the device, putting the device into at least one of a predetermined input and a predetermined output mode, changing a setting of the device and controlling an operation of the device.

19. The method in accordance with claim 14 , further comprising detecting a fingerprint associated with the finger touch via the touch sensor and identifying an individual authorized to use the device based on the detected fingerprint.

20. A mobile electronic communications device having enhanced touch gesture detection and resolution, the mobile electronic communications device comprising:
a touch sensor positioned and configured to sense touch;
a processor linked to the touch sensor and configured to scan the touch sensor at a first scan rate, detect a single touch of a finger while scanning the touch sensor at the first scan rate, determine that the single touch has remained present for at least a first threshold period T 1 , and in response to determining that the single touch has remained present for at least a first threshold period T 1 , scan the touch sensor at a second scan rate that is higher than the first scan rate, and determine that a swipe gesture has occurred at the touch sensor within a second threshold period T 2 and to execute a predefined action upon determining that a swipe gesture has occurred.

Assignees

• Motorola Mobility Llc

Inventors

• Merrell Thomas
• Gorsica John Joseph

Classifications

• G06F3/04883

  for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text · CPC title

• G06F3/0416 Primary

  Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers · CPC title

• G06F21/32

  using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voiceprints · CPC title

• G06F3/016

  Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user · CPC title

• G06F3/041661 Primary

  using detection at multiple resolutions, e.g. coarse and fine scanning; using detection within a limited area, e.g. object tracking window · CPC title